Fact Check: NASA and ISRO are prepared to launch the $1.5 billion Earth observation satellite, NISAR, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, in July 2023.

Fact Check: "NASA and ISRO are prepared to launch the $1.5 billion Earth observation satellite, NISAR, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, in July 2023."

What We Know

The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission is a collaborative project between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aimed at Earth observation. As of May 2023, NISAR had arrived at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, indicating progress toward its launch. However, the launch date has been officially revised to early 2024, rather than July 2023 as initially suggested (NASA Science, NASA-ISRO SAR Mission).

The satellite is designed to map the entire globe every 12 days, providing critical data on various environmental changes, including ice mass, vegetation, and natural hazards (ISRO). The mission represents a significant milestone in U.S.-India civil space cooperation, with a total estimated cost of $1.5 billion (Science Alert).

Analysis

The claim that NISAR is set to launch in July 2023 is inaccurate. While the satellite did arrive at the launch site in May 2023, the latest updates indicate that the launch has been postponed to January 2024 (NASA Science, NASA-ISRO SAR Mission).

The sources used to verify this information are credible, coming from official NASA and ISRO communications, which are typically reliable for updates on space missions. The information about the launch timeline being pushed to early 2024 is consistent across multiple reputable sources, including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) Satellite, NASA-ISRO SAR Mission).

Given that the claim suggests a specific launch date that has been officially revised, it is clear that the assertion is misleading.

Conclusion

Verdict: False
The claim that NASA and ISRO are prepared to launch the NISAR satellite in July 2023 is incorrect. The satellite's launch has been rescheduled to January 2024, as confirmed by multiple reliable sources. Therefore, the assertion does not hold true based on the latest available information.

Sources

1. NASA-ISRO Earth-Observing Satellite Arrives at Indian Launch Site
2. Home - NASA-ISRO SAR Mission (NISAR)
3. NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) Satellite
4. NISAR Arrives at Indian Launch Site - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
5. NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) Mission Science Users' Handbook
6. NISAR: Tracking Earth's Changes From Space (Mission Overview)
7. ISRO
8. NASA Teams Up With India to Launch First-of-Its-Kind $1.5 Billion Satellite